Automatic car-brake



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

P. H. D. NEWHARD'.

AUTOMATIC GAR BRAKE.

No. 335,377. Patented Feb. 2, 1886.

TVITJVESSES E A (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. P. H. D. NEWHARD.

AUTOMATIC OAR BRAKE.

No. 335,377. Patented Feb. 2,1886.

WITNESSES DVVEJVTOR c vw.

.dttarney UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKLIN H. D. NEXVHARD, OF HOKENDAUQUA, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC CAR- BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 335,377, dated February 2, 1886. Application filed November 11, 1885. Serial No. 182,437. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN H. D. NEW- HARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hokendauqua, in the county of Lehigh and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Brakes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The object of this improvement is to pro vide railroad-cars with automatic brake mechanism that will be operated by the momentom of the cars when the train is moving forward, and that can be readily made inactive,

in order to prevent the same from interfering with the backward movement of a train, as occasion may require, or for shifting the cars in making up trains, or for other purposes. These results are attained by the means illustrated in the drawings herewith filed as part hereof, in which the same letters of reference denote the same parts in the different views.

Figure l is a sectional side elevation of a freight car and truck provided with brake mechanism embodying the features of myimprovement. Fig. 2 is a sectional illustration representing a modified application of part of the mechanism. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the freight car and truck taken on the line a; at of Fig. 1, for the purpose of more fully showing the relation and application of the parts. Fig. 4 represents a modification of the brake-operating lever.

A B O D E is an ordinary truck-frame.

F F are the truck-wheels.

G is a friction-disk suitably secured to the wheel-axle substantially in the position shown in Fig. 3.

H H are brake-shoes articulated, as shown at h", to hangers h, which are articulated to a beam, A, affixed to the truck end beam and its bearingbeam G.

R is a lever articulated at d to the brakeshoe H, and pivotally connected at g to a linkplate, R, which is articulated at d to the brake-shoe H.

K is the car, supported on the truck-frame by the bearing-beam K.

K is the pulling-beam of the car, provided with the usual bumpers, K

M is a bracket bolted to the pulling-beam, as shown, and having a bifurcated projection for the reception of a lever, L, pivoted thereto, as shown at Z.

N is a buifer,pivotally connected at n to the lever L, and connected by means of an eyeyn, and link b,with a perforated arm, 0, of a shifting-rod, S, which projects slightly beyond the sides of the car, and is secured to the pullingbeam K" by means of eyes, as shown.

P is a chain affixed to the upper end of the brake shoe lever B, and connected thence with an eyebolt, P, which passes through a slotted enlargement,L,at the lower end ofthc lever L, and is provided with a nut, p, and spiral spring p, for a purpose hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the modification shownin Fig. 2, K is the pulling-beam of the car. K is the bumper. M is a bracket bolted to the beam K and having a forward projection, M, open at the top, as shown in Fig. 4. 'N is the buffer, pivotally secured to a bar, N, which is arranged to slide in the bracket M M. By reason of the open top of the projection M of the bracket M the buffer N may be adjusted to a vertical position, for a purpose hereinafter set forth. The pulling-beam K is provided with a metal plate intermediate thereof and the sliding buffer-bar N to prevent wear of the parts by friction with each other. Such plate is obscured from view by the bracket M. T is a bracket bolted to the pulling-beam K", and bifurcated at its end T for the reception of a lever, L, pivotally secured thereto at f, and provided at its upper end with a slotted enlargement, L", for the reception and passage of the rounded part of the buffer-bar N, which is provided with a spiral spring, N'-, and at its outer end with a nut, k, for a purpose hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the modification shown in Fig. at, L is a lever horizontally pivoted to a bifurcated bracket, L, affixed to the pulling-beam K". The bracket L acts as a fulcrum for the lever L, which connects by means of a slotted enlargement, L with the rounded part of the buffer-bar N, which is provided with a spring, N, a nut, is, at its rear end, and a pivotallyconnected buffer, N, at its forward end. The

buffer N may beadj usted to a vertical position on the sliding buffer-bar N the same as the buffer shown in Fig. 2, as the bracketM Min which it is arranged to slide is identical in construction with that shown in Fig. 2.

If deemed advisable, the brake mechanism herein described may be applied at each end of the car. Additional bumpers should be affixed to the pulling-beams K in positions to correspond with that of the buffer N, aiiixed to the lever L on the adjacent car.

The operation is as follows: When the steam is shut off from the engine and the brakes are applied to the latter, the cars in the train will advance on each other, the buffers N will engage with the bumpers on the adjacent cars. the upper end of the lever L will be moved inward,its lower end will be moved outward, and the shoes H H will be applied to the friction-disk G by means of the chain P, lever B, and link R withthe force involved in the tension of the spring which will also relieve the jar of the contact of the buffers and bumpers, and thereby prevent such contact from breaking the parts. After the train is stopped and the bearings of the buffers and bumpers relieved, the tension of the spring p, and the weight of the lever L will cause the parts to react and take the positions shown in Fig. 1. By adj ust-ing thebut'fer N to a vertical position by means of the rod S,affixed to the pulling-beam K, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. l, the mechanism will be made inactive by preventing the contact of the buffer with the bumper of the adjacent car, and the entire train may then be moved backward, and any or all of the cars shifted from one track to an other, as occasion may require. Chain or rod connection may be made from the perforated arm 0 of the rod S to the top of the car, so the brake mechanism may be made active or inactive without the operator descending from the top of the car. As the sliding buffer-bar, supporting-bracket M M, the sliding bufferbar N, provided with a vertically-adjustable buffer-head, N, and spiral spring on the rounded part of the same, also the lever connected with the sliding buffer-bar are shown and claimed in other applications for patents filed by me the same date herewith, I donot in this application claim the devices thus specially mentioned.

Having explained the features of my improvement, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of the brake-shoes, the lever and link connecting the brake-shoes, the friction-disk on the truck-axle, the lever affixed to the pulling-beam, and the chain, eyebolt, and spring connecting the brake-shoe lever with the lever affixed to the pulling-beam, all arranged to operate as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an automatic car-brake mechanism, the vertically-adjustable buffer, in combination with the vertical brake-operating lever arranged to operate the brake-shoes, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In an automatic car-brake mechanism,

the shifting-rod, in combination with the vertically-adjustable buffer when arranged to 0p crate the same from the top and sides of the car, as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

FRANKLIN H. D. NEWHARD.

XVitnesses:

THOMAS F. BUTZ, J A MES B. SNYDER. 

